Details Announced for Xfinity Series Indianapolis Road Course Race

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will make racing history and add even more horsepower to a big celebration of America’s birthday during the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard on Saturday, July 4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Numerous details about the historic first NASCAR race on the IMS road course were announced Feb. 4, including the event name and logo, circuit configuration, race laps, and stage lengths.

The Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard will consist of 62 laps on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course that includes portions of the famed 2.5-mile oval where the NASCAR Cup Series will race in the 27th Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line on Sunday, July 5. The three stage lengths are Stage 1, Laps 1-20; Stage 2, Laps 21-40; Stage 3, Laps 41-62.

“Anticipation continues to build as more exciting details are revealed about the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard, which will help to launch a new era for the annual NASCAR weekend at IMS,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “We’re thankful to all of our partners, especially Pennzoil and NASCAR, for their support of this historic race. The Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard will add even more great action to go along with live music from superstar acts, fireworks, food, friends and fun during a Fourth of July weekend party to remember.”

NASCAR driver Matt Di Benedetto tested two configurations of the IMS road course Jan. 22 in an Xfinity Series car, and his feedback was influential in NASCAR officials selecting the 14-turn, 2.439-mile layout over the 12-turn, 2.28-mile configuration.

“The part that I like the most about this course is that it actually does have multiple passing opportunities, and that was one of the things we wanted to evaluate is how it’s going to race, how technical it is in the passing zone,” Di Benedetto said. “So, the cool thing is what we love as road racers is heavy braking zones. Clearly, the end of the front straightaway here, you have a very heavy braking zone. You also have another long back straightaway getting into Turn 7, which is a heavy braking zone. And then on the 14-turn course, you have another braking zone coming into (Turns) 12, 13, and 14.”

“There’s high-speed stuff. There’s low-speed stuff. So, it’s pretty much everything we could ask for from a competitor’s standpoint for raceability.” 

The Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard, which starts at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 4 and will be televised live on NBC, is one of the highlights of an incredible Fourth of July weekend at IMS.

This year’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard will include a full-blown Florida Georgia Line concert Saturday night, a fireworks show, new infield camping experiences and gourmet barbecue as part of a star-spangled celebration of America’s birthday and motorsports.

United States Auto Club (USAC) open-wheel short-track racing also will return to The Dirt Track at IMS with the Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Championship event July 1-2.

Visit IMS.com to buy tickets or for information about the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard, the Florida Georgia Line concert or the Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink.